LOUISVILLE (September 21, 2016) – Mayor Greg Fischer is inviting the public to participate in a community educational forum next week to discuss the possibility of expanding Louisville’s Smoke-free ordinance to include electronic-cigarettes and hookah products.
The Department of Public Health and Wellness will host the event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 at its headquarters, 400 E. Gray St. The public will have the opportunity to hear from local experts, ask questions and share comments.
Panelists include:
Aruni Bhatnagar, PhD, FAHA, professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine;
Robert Jacobs, PhD, professor at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences;
Paul Kiser, PhD; assistant professor at Bellarmine University;
Carol Riker, MSN, RN, Associate Professor Emeritus, UK College of Nursing;
Monica Mundy, MPH, Community Advisor for the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy at the University of Kentucky.
In 2008, Louisville enacted a comprehensive Smoke-free ordinance, prohibiting smoking tobacco products in all indoor public places and worksites.
Since passage of the ordinance, e-cigarettes and hookah products have come on the market. More than 500 communities across the country, including 13 in Kentucky, already include e-cigarettes or hookah in their smoke-free laws. Many local businesses, healthcare facilities and educational institutions in Louisville also include e-cigarettes or hookah in their own wellness policies.
At the event next Wednesday, experts will present scientific data on the effects of secondhand exposure to e-cigarettes and hookah products. The public is encouraged to ask questions and offer comments.
